Change
by Akiry
Summary: Exhausted from the preliminary Chūnin exam and feeling low in spite of his accomplishments, Naruto decides to break into Hinata's hospital bedroom.


**Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

Wrapped in the folds of his bedsheets, Naruto studied his bedroom ceiling. Although his surface wounds had already healed, spending a week in the Forest of Death had taken a toll. His joints throbbed dully from the exertion and no amount of stretching before bed had loosened them. There was an ache behind his eyes from where sleep had come in short, easily disturbed clumps.

But in spite of his exhaustion, he could not sleep. Drained yet wide awake, he rolled over in bed, trying to find a more comfortable position. Being back in a soft bed with a pillow full of cotton felt strange and somehow wrong. Too comfortable without the twigs poking in his back and the bugs crawling into his clothes. It felt like being too naïve. It put Naruto on edge, like he should expect some sort of danger to arise. An ambush, perhaps.

He tried to listen only to the pattering of rain against his bedroom window. Tried to quash all other thoughts and feelings. The nerves that twitched at the calling of a stray cat outside his window. The shiver that tickled his spine as he heard it jump from the roof onto his neighbour's dustbin.

His alert eyes found his desk where his forehead protector and the ballot paper marking his place in the tournament lay.

He'd be fighting Hyūga Neji first.

Immediately, frustration bubbled up inside of him. Hyūga Neji's ideas on destiny had hit a sore spot. Naruto couldn't understand how one person could be so _insulting_. He was glad he'd be the first with a chance to punch the son of a bitch.

' _Ultimately, we are judged by what we cannot change.'_ That's what Neji had said.

But didn't that go against the very notion of training? No one entered the academy knowing innately how to be a ninja. It had to be taught and practised. Wasn't that - in itself - a change?

Naruto thought of the hours he spent, cross-legged on his hardwood floor, a book or two balanced on his head, quizzing himself over hand seals and battle formations, depriving himself of dinner if he got too many answers wrong.

And it had paid off. When he'd stepped up to fight Kiba in the preliminaries, he'd been met with jeers. It had been a long, gruelling match but he had won – in front of everybody.

'That guy actually did it!' he'd heard Shikamaru exclaim, amazement obvious in his voice.

Naruto had come a long way since his academy days.

' _Ultimately, we are judged by what we cannot change.'_

Thinking, Naruto sat upright. Hinata had been so scared. Not of Neji's power, but of Neji's _words_. The memory of her rooted to the spot, her body quivering like a twig in winter, imprisoned in her own skin, bothered him. She had no reason to believe anything Neji said. She did know that, didn't she?

Naruto reasoned that Hinata had always been hard to read on account of how little she said, but he wondered at how much he really knew about her. After all, he had had _no idea_ she was part of a clan that possessed a Kekkei Genkei, or that there was a branch family sharing her name.

He wondered how many more mysteries surrounded her.

After the match, when Hinata had been carried away on a stretcher, blood down her chin with red, angry scorch marks puncturing her arms, Naruto had felt weak on her behalf.

' _Ultimately, we are judged by what we cannot change.'_

So Hinata had something she needed to change. Had he been stupid for not noticing how much pain was inside of her?

He caught his reflection in his bedroom mirror. Saw his whiskered cheeks – stripes etched into his skin; permanent marks of the Nine Tails he carried inside of him.

Hugging his legs to his chest, Naruto mumbled to himself: 'It's not like she had a choice.'

* * *

'What do you mean visiting hours are from nine until five!?'

'I'm sorry,' the receptionist said, clearly not sorry at all.

'But I've come to see her _now_!'

'Sorry – those are the rules.' Although his words were polite, the receptionist's tone was condescending. He delivered his speech to his hands, busily pushing papers around his desk, purposefully not making eye contact to make it clear just how little Naruto's complaint mattered to him. 'And please lower your voice. Our patients will be sleeping.'

'Hmph,' Naruto noised, pocketing his hands.

He watched as the receptionist picked up a document – seemingly at random – and inspected it as though it were of the utmost importance. He was clearly done talking to Naruto.

Pouting, Naruto exited the hospital. Although it was spring, fog hung low in the village, the air damp and heavy with the night's rain.

'Sure, make me wait three hours,' Naruto grumbled, ignoring the eerie beauty of the village waking up.

He took out his frustration on a nearby rock, kicking it as hard as he could. He yawned, as if the simple action had taken away his strength. He wiped sleep from his eyes and wondered whether it was worth going back to his flat to try and catch some rest before the hospital opened for visitors. He looked up at the static white building and wondered which dew-covered window led to Hinata.

'Wait a minute…'

He stared at the windows and then down at his feet, a grin spreading across his face as a plan began to form…

* * *

His chakra concentrated in the soles of his feet and in the very tips of his fingers, Naruto couldn't help but giggle as he crawled up the hospital's outer wall. Above the ground, the air was colder – more fresh – and when the wind blew his eyes stung from the intensity. He didn't mind though; the cold air was helping him wake up.

Naruto crawled along, peeking into every window for a glimpse of his visitee. The only problem with his method was that some of the patients had pulled their curtains shut. As he continued his search, hoping Hinata was not in one these more private rooms, he began to lose hope. There were only a few windows left to look into.

Finally, he reached the last room – situated in the the top right corner of the hospital. The curtains had been clumsily pulled so there was just a small sliver left to look through. Summing up all his remaining hope, he craned his neck to look in – and saw Hinata's jacket.

He'd found her room at last. Excitedly, he pulled the window open.

'Hinata,' he called, and a faint, incoherent mumble, heavy with sleep, came from the bed. With a jolt, he realised she must still be asleep. Still clinging to the wall outside, Naruto wondered whether he _should_ have waited a little longer. Although he was disappointed, he supposed it had been silly to think she'd be awake so early.

Sighing, he decided that he was here now, so he might as well wait for her.

His decision made, he gripped the window ledge and hoisted his torso and feet up so that he was squatting. Pushing the billowing curtain - alive in the wind - to the aside, Naruto glanced down at her. Purple blotches under her eyes from lack of sleep stood out against her skin – which had taken on a pale, sickly hue. Her fringe was stuck to the side of her head with sweat and her brows were knitted together in what looked like pain or a nightmare. The worst was her arms and torso – tightly bound in bandages. They had clearly bled in the night.

Naruto gasped sharply, shocked by the amount of damage that had been done to her.

Hinata's eyes fluttered open. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Then she cast her eyes downwards to the source of the noise.

'Morning,' Naruto said.

Hinata bolted upright. Her motion caused Naruto to lean back - and he lost all balance.

He was falling.

Strong, cold hands clutched his arm – outstretched towards the window – and Naruto felt himself dangling in mid-air. Hinata had caught him.

'Connect your feet with the wall,' Hinata managed through gritted teeth.

Concentrating his chakra into his feet once more, Naruto ran up the side of the wall and jumped through Hinata's window. He landed squarely on the bed and they sat there a moment, Naruto still somewhat in shock from the unexpected fall and Hinata panting from the extra exertion. When he'd regained his senses, Naruto began to thank Hinata – when he felt heat rise to her cheeks.

Aside from the bandages that wrapped her chest and arms and some hospital-issued shorts, Hinata wasn't wearing anything.

Following his line of sight, Hinata let out a small yelp and clutched the bedsheets to her chest.

Naruto stood up quickly. Forcing a laugh he said, 'Sorry I…' he fumbled for words. 'Thanks. I was going to wait 'til you woke up by yourself…'

Hinata's face – ever an open book – betrayed her mixture of emotions. Mortification from being seen without a top on and bewilderment at seeing Naruto standing in her hospital ward. She caught sight of the blowing curtain. Felt the morning air, fresh on her cheeks.

After a moment she asked: 'You climbed through my window?'

'It – it was the secretary's fault!' Naruto said. 'He said visiting hours didn't start 'til nine.'

Hinata glanced at the wall clock. It was 6:07am.

'You wanted to see me?' Hinata asked in a small, hopeful voice. Everything should have told her this was true, but somehow she still could not believe it.

Nodding, Naruto spotted a chair in the corner of the room. He went to it, picked it up, and placed it next to Hinata's bedside. Sitting down he said vaguely, 'Well yeah. People visit people when they're in hospital, right?'

Hinata occupied herself by fidgeting with her fingers.

'Thank you,' she said.

'It's okay,' he said gingerly. 'So… how are you feeling?'

'I've been better,' she said, a lilt of humour in her voice.

Naruto himself had seen better days – his time spent in the Forest of Death was clear from the deeper cuts in his skin. His hair was much more unkempt than usual. He wasn't even wearing his forehead protector, and under his jacket he still wore his pyjama top.

But what was most different about his appearance were the rings under his eyes.

Noticing the bags, Hinata said, 'Naruto-kun, you haven't slept yet?'

'Is it that obvious?' he asked sheepishly. 'I kept thinking about the tournament.'

'Oh…' Hinata noised, sounding disappointed. 'Did you…'

Naruto waited, unsure what question Hinata had to ask him; what he'd said to make her mood suddenly droop.

'Did you want advice?' she asked.

Naruto tilted his head to the side in question.

'I heard Neji is the first person you have to fight. Is that… why you're here?'

'No! I didn't come here at six am just to ask you about battle strategy, Hinata!' He shook his head earnestly. 'I mean, advice wouldn't be unwelcome but that isn't why –'

His babbling and jumbled hand gestures were interrupted by Hinata's soft, delighted laugh. The rarity of it stopped Naruto's speech in its track. In spite of the colour drained from her face and the obvious signs of trauma done to her skin, he could not help but think that, in that moment, she was very pretty.

But the charm Naruto felt was soon replaced by worry as her laughter gave way to coughing.

'Hey, are you all right?' he asked, unable to keep the concern out of his voice.

Hinata tried to answer, but an even heavier barrel of coughs erupted from her throat. She forced herself to sit up again and clutched her chest.

'Is this because you caught me? Should I…?' He raised his hand, palm open and poised in the air, ready to pound her back if she wanted.

But Hinata shook her head. Another tumult of coughs took over. Naruto, unsure what he could do to help, took her hand, damp and overwarm, and held it.

Hinata's coughing eventually subdued and ended. She sat hunched over, panting at the exertion, sweat dotting her face, a thin film of saliva running round her chin. She wiped at it, embarrassed, and gazed down at their hands, entwined. Colour rose to her face. Naruto followed her line of vision and a steady blush began to burn his own cheeks. After a short linger, he pulled his hand away.

'Sorry.'

'It's okay.'

He watched in silence as Hinata massaged her throat. It was obvious how much pain she was in, how much she was trying to conceal it by putting on a brave face. Noticing his concerned gaze, Hinata forced an encouraging smile.

'I'll be okay,' she said.

'Why does Neji hate you so much?'

The question escaped his lips before he even thought to ask it. Hinata's eyes turned sad and she stared down at her hands.

'Why does it matter which branch you're from?'

'Well…'

Naruto leant in close to hear her.

'That's just how the Hyūga clan is structured. It's been like this for years. It's… tradition.'

'Tradition?' Naruto repeated, resting his cheek in his palm. 'I don't get clan politics.'

'I'm glad you don't.'

Naruto narrowed his eyes, confused.

'There are expectations. Everyone depends on you filling your role to the best of your ability. I wish I didn't _have_ to understand them.' She twiddled her thumbs as she continued but her voice became stronger. 'I can understand why Neji doesn't like me. He is gifted. And bold. He would be far better leading the Hyūga clan than me. But that isn't his legacy. It's mine.'

Her eyes began to well up. She so rarely spoke of the shackles that came with the Hyūga family name – even within Team 8 it was hardly ever brought up. Talking about it so candidly, with the window open and morning dripping in, with Naruto to hear her…

It felt wrong.

It felt right.

'The way I see it,' said Naruto, 'You don't owe Neji anything. You can't help what family you were born into and he shouldn't blame you for it.'

Hinata smiled softly.

'And another thing,' he continued gently, not knowing how charming his simple words, untainted by clan tradition and politics, were to her. 'All that stuff he said about being unable to change destiny and inner strength… that's not true at all.'

His words were conclusive and confident, as though by simply stating that Neji was wrong meant that Neji _really was_ wrong and that there was nothing more to say on the matter. The way he spoke reminded Hinata of the first time Naruto had declared he would become Hokage.

It had been part of Iruka-sensei's duties to pummel the truth about the hardships of ninja life into his students. It was a way to drive out the weak and eliminate the threat of needless deaths. He had told the class that being a ninja meant embracing a lifetime of struggles. That it came with many grievances and harrowing experiences. That only those prepared to live through fear would come out the other side as full-fledged ninjas. That those who thought they wouldn't make it should quit whilst they were ahead.

And Naruto had laughed.

'Would you like to explain what's so funny to the rest of the class?' Iruka-sensei had asked.

And Naruto?

He had replied simply, 'The Hokage is the strongest ninja in the whole village. I know it won't be easy.'

His reply had been uttered so easily, so calmly. Almost softly. Unflinching honesty and hope and expectations. He had laid out a path for himself; and he was going to walk it.

And here he was now, quietly confident, telling Hinata that strength and destiny could be changed.

' _Ultimately, we are judged by what we cannot change.'_

She could not blame him for feeling the full brunt of Neji's attack, even through it had not been directed at him. Because, Hinata considered, Naruto had grown _a lot_. He had proved time and time again throughout the Chūnin exam that he was someone to be taken seriously.

He was right - Naruto shouldn't listen to anything Neji had to say.

Herself on the other hand… she wasn't so sure.

'Naruto-kun,' Hinata started, tripping over his name, her heart fluttering at the idea of asking him the question she had on her mind. 'Can I ask you something?'

Naruto leant forwards. 'Of course.'

Unable to meet his gaze, Hinata turned her attention to the window. Patients had begun to dot around outside the hospital's private garden, walking their wounds off and chatting to one another.

'Do you think… that I managed to change? At least a little bit?'

Hinata waited. Dreading his expression, imagining one of pity, Hinata drew her eyes from the window. Naruto was staring at her – shocked.

'What… what is it?' she asked.

'Of course!' he said passionately. 'Of course, Hinata. This is what I'm talking about. You shouldn't listen to Neji because you _already_ changed. A lot! You're already not the same timid girl you were in the academy. The one who was too scared to raise her hand and never talked back to people.' He sat back, observed her warmly. 'You're really something, Hinata. I had no idea you had that kinda power in you. You stood up for yourself. And you showed us all how strong you are.'

Shock and wonder rippled its way through Hinata, warmth tingling her down to her fingertips. She smiled, and tried to ignore the happy sting behind her eyes. 'It's because you cheered me on,' she said.

'I don't think that's true,' Naruto countered, not missing a heartbeat. 'Maybe I helped you untap it, but that was all you.'

Naruto smiled. Like he thought much better of her than she considered herself to be.

 _Then_ , Hinata decided, _I want to fit that image you have of me now. I want to become stronger. I'll prove to you, and to myself, and to everyone else too._

A comfortable silence filled the room. They sat together a while, neither needing to say anything, sometimes making eye contact and smiling blissfully at each other.

The morning sun began to rise over Hokage Rock; the village's beacon of strength and wisdom. Sunrays striped the room, heating it 'til it was cosy; almost homely. Sitting together, the light painting the walls yellow, one could forget they were in a hospital ward.

Soon, Naruto's eyes were drooping and a sleep-hazy smile played on his lips. Hinata sunk deeper into her cushions.

'Naruto-kun, you're exhausted.'

Naruto forced his eyes open. He shook his head.

'No, I'm fine,' he sleep-mumbled.

But a moment later his eyes were drooping again and he was reclining in his chair. He folded his arm across his middle, blanketing himself, and regarded her sleepily. Hinata wondered what he was thinking about. Feeling a little more confident under his gaze, Hinata asked: 'Everything okay?'

'It is now,' he said.

And then he was asleep.

Hinata regarded him fondly, her heart singing. This scuffed-up, sunny dispositioned boy had come to see her, and he saw strength in her and believed in her.

Her view of Naruto started to bleed into the hospital's mute background colours. A bird outside her window started to chirp. The pain in Hinata's body was awful, but she smiled in spite of it.

And soon, she was asleep too.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


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